Boliva, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica

I am officially changing the name of Boliva to Bait and Switch, because this is what they like to do. Do not believe anything a tour operator or bus company tells you. For example, say you would like a bus with some sort of heating system so you do not freeze in minus 17C weather, and you are willing to pay an extra 50% for this privilage. Well, that is just a gullable tourist tax. Buses dont have heaters, even if we say they do. Say for example, you would like to know what is being served for breakfast on your 4 day tour before you pay the total up front, and they tell you eggs, yogurt, toast, jam, juice, coffee, the works. Well you may have received that if the Land Cruiser driver didn't sell the eggs and yogurt to his restaurant owning buddies along the way leaving you with only toast and coffee. Those are only a few choice examples. Peru was just as bad too. That being said it was the craziest landscape I have ever seen; the climax of the inland portion of the trip for sure.

So we finished in Boliva, into expensive Chile for 2 days, then into Argentina. Buenos Aires was pretty much what I expected; really good. We stayed in the "coolest" part of town, Palmero Soho, just to make sure we did not miss out on any action. Tons of local designer shops (Janes backpack looks like Fois Gras), trendy cafes and Restobars full of attractive, stylish people and cheap, great vino. You could buy a decent bottle of wine in a restaurant for $8 bucks USD (it goes without saying that all the wine on the menu is Argentinian). We drank one bottle each and every night even if we didn't want to. One restaurant gave you a free bottle if you came in before nine...a free bottle. That is at least a $40 value in Vancouver. Also it is true that they do not go out to eat and party until way too late. Jane and I would starve waiting until 8 or 9 to go to dinner and we were honestly the only ones in the place at that time. Restaurant's peak time was at about 10:30. If you wanted to go drinking after that you had to wait until 1 or 2 am, to start, or you would be alone. And yes everyone seemed able to Tango. And I am sure if you lived there and did not know how to Tango, you would have no chance of securing a girlfriend. Kind of like not being able to two-step in Calgary.

Now we are in Mal Pais Costa Rica, getting our surf legs back before heading back to Canada tomorrow for a wedding next week. Jane made me come to Central America as any water in all South America was too cold for her now. This concludes the first half of Tour de Sur 2008. We are pretty burnt out from travelling and not sure how the other half is going to shake out (I.e. no plan yet). Over and out.

Chad and Jane

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